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Samantha men charged in bombing

Clayton Michael Earnest, 52, and Keith Lawson, 42, are accused of planting a truck bomb on July 29.

By Stephanie TaylorStaff Writer

Published: Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 11:10 p.m.

Two Samantha men have been accused of planting a truck bomb in an attempt to kill a Walker County man last week.

Federal agents arrested Clayton Michael Earnest, 52, and Keith Lawson, 42, in connection with the July 29 bombing in Parrish. Agents with the Alabama Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms made both arrests Tuesday in Tuscaloosa County. They were each charged with criminal possession of a destructive device.

The men are accused of making a deal to kill Frank Gene Weems Jr. in exchange for $10,000, according to documents filed in federal court Tuesday.

Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Birmingham office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spoke at a news conference held Tuesday in Birmingham.

“The purpose was cold-blooded murder,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

Birmingham attorney Bill Barnett was appointed to represent Lawson.

“We’re just looking for a chance to prove our innocence,” he said.

Attorney Russell Steen, who is representing Earnest, said he may comment later this week after he has a chance to speak with his client and review the case.

The men were living together at Earnest’s home on North Hagler Road, according to the criminal complaint. Booking information at the Jefferson County Jail, where Lawson is being held, lists a Gordo address.

The complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Birmingham detailed the events leading up to the bombing:

Weems was injured around 6 p.m. last Wednesday as he backed out of his driveway in his red Ford F150 truck. Officers who responded found him lying faceup near the truck. The driver’s side door was open and there was severe damage and a large hole in the driver’s side floorboard and a fire burning under the dashboard. Weems suffered serious injuries to his left leg and has since undergone several surgeries at UAB Medical Center in Birmingham.

The investigation revealed that Earnest and Lawson tracked Weems after placing a GPS device on the underside of his truck.

Parrish police officers spotted the men traveling in Earnest’s blue Ford truck near the victim’s home a week before the bombing. They asked what the men were doing in the area, 50 miles away from their home in north Tuscaloosa County. The men were vague, answering that they were looking for an old girlfriend.

The bomb that injured Weems was detonated around 6 p.m. 11 days later.

Weems said that he heard his dogs barking around 6 a.m. the day of the bombing. Forty-five minutes later, a neighbor saw a man on a green mountain bike with a black backpack and later saw the same man in a blue Ford truck the same day.

Around noon that day, the chief of the Parrish Police Department spoke to Earnest and Lawson, who were parked in a red Nissan Altima in a grassy area in sight of the victim’s home. They told the chief that they were in the area looking for land to purchase.

Later that afternoon, the men bought a pack of cigarettes at a nearby convenience store, this time traveling in a small silver car. The store owner told authorities that Earnest, whom he later identified in a photo lineup, said that he would return. Around 30 minutes later — eight minutes after the bombing — the men returned and asked for directions for the quickest route to Tuscaloosa, he said.

ATF agents recovered wires of an electric blasting cap, Velcro, electrical tape, a clear container, batteries, fragments of an aluminum plate, an electrical switch, magnet bars and the GPS device that had been placed under Weems’ truck.

They found an antenna, a plastic battery holder and a fragment from an electrical circuit board that they say came from a remote-controlled toy boat.

After searching Earnest’s residence on Hagler Road on Sunday, they seized a green mountain bike, a box for the same GPS they found under the truck and the GPS locator used to track it.

The complaint indicates that Lawson made statements that implicated himself and Earnest, but does not specify whether he made those statements to an investigator or a witness.

“Lawson stated that he was supposed to be paid $10,000 to kill someone near Jasper, Alabama. He stated that he had been in a field near the victim’s house prior to the bombing, and that the victim’s dog always barked when he approached the house. Lawson also displayed a Wal-Mart receipt for the a remote-controlled toy boat and stated ‘That’s my bomb.’ Lawson was also seen carrying blasting caps both before and after the bombing occurred.”

ATF Resident Agent in Charge David Hyche said Wednesday that agents made the arrests with the help of the Tuscaloosa and Walker County sheriff’s offices and the Tuscaloosa and Northport police departments, who assisted with officers and tactical teams.

“They worked with us around the clock,” he said.

Sgt. Andy Norris, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said that deputies located and detained Lawson at a Tuscaloosa hotel until ATF agents made the arrest. He was unsure where Earnest was apprehended.

Hearings are scheduled for both men at 2 p.m. Friday in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Ott.

<p>Two Samantha men have been accused of planting a truck bomb in an attempt to kill a Walker County man last week.</p><p>Federal agents arrested Clayton Michael Earnest, 52, and Keith Lawson, 42, in connection with the July 29 bombing in Parrish. Agents with the Alabama Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms made both arrests Tuesday in Tuscaloosa County. They were each charged with criminal possession of a destructive device.</p><p>The men are accused of making a deal to kill Frank Gene Weems Jr. in exchange for $10,000, according to documents filed in federal court Tuesday.</p><p>Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Birmingham office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spoke at a news conference held Tuesday in Birmingham.</p><p>The purpose was cold-blooded murder, he said, according to the Associated Press.</p><p>Birmingham attorney Bill Barnett was appointed to represent Lawson.</p><p>We’re just looking for a chance to prove our innocence, he said.</p><p>Attorney Russell Steen, who is representing Earnest, said he may comment later this week after he has a chance to speak with his client and review the case.</p><p>The men were living together at Earnest’s home on North Hagler Road, according to the criminal complaint. Booking information at the Jefferson County Jail, where Lawson is being held, lists a Gordo address.</p><p>The complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Birmingham detailed the events leading up to the bombing: </p><p>Weems was injured around 6 p.m. last Wednesday as he backed out of his driveway in his red Ford F150 truck. Officers who responded found him lying faceup near the truck. The driver’s side door was open and there was severe damage and a large hole in the driver’s side floorboard and a fire burning under the dashboard. Weems suffered serious injuries to his left leg and has since undergone several surgeries at UAB Medical Center in Birmingham.</p><p>The investigation revealed that Earnest and Lawson tracked Weems after placing a GPS device on the underside of his truck.</p><p>Parrish police officers spotted the men traveling in Earnest’s blue Ford truck near the victim’s home a week before the bombing. They asked what the men were doing in the area, 50 miles away from their home in north Tuscaloosa County. The men were vague, answering that they were looking for an old girlfriend.</p><p>The bomb that injured Weems was detonated around 6 p.m. 11 days later.</p><p>Weems said that he heard his dogs barking around 6 a.m. the day of the bombing. Forty-five minutes later, a neighbor saw a man on a green mountain bike with a black backpack and later saw the same man in a blue Ford truck the same day. </p><p>Around noon that day, the chief of the Parrish Police Department spoke to Earnest and Lawson, who were parked in a red Nissan Altima in a grassy area in sight of the victim’s home. They told the chief that they were in the area looking for land to purchase.</p><p>Later that afternoon, the men bought a pack of cigarettes at a nearby convenience store, this time traveling in a small silver car. The store owner told authorities that Earnest, whom he later identified in a photo lineup, said that he would return. Around 30 minutes later  eight minutes after the bombing  the men returned and asked for directions for the quickest route to Tuscaloosa, he said. </p><p>ATF agents recovered wires of an electric blasting cap, Velcro, electrical tape, a clear container, batteries, fragments of an aluminum plate, an electrical switch, magnet bars and the GPS device that had been placed under Weems’ truck. </p><p>They found an antenna, a plastic battery holder and a fragment from an electrical circuit board that they say came from a remote-controlled toy boat.</p><p>After searching Earnest’s residence on Hagler Road on Sunday, they seized a green mountain bike, a box for the same GPS they found under the truck and the GPS locator used to track it.</p><p>The complaint indicates that Lawson made statements that implicated himself and Earnest, but does not specify whether he made those statements to an investigator or a witness.</p><p>Lawson stated that he was supposed to be paid $10,000 to kill someone near Jasper, Alabama. He stated that he had been in a field near the victim’s house prior to the bombing, and that the victim’s dog always barked when he approached the house. Lawson also displayed a Wal-Mart receipt for the a remote-controlled toy boat and stated That’s my bomb.’ Lawson was also seen carrying blasting caps both before and after the bombing occurred.</p><p>ATF Resident Agent in Charge David Hyche said Wednesday that agents made the arrests with the help of the Tuscaloosa and Walker County sheriff’s offices and the Tuscaloosa and Northport police departments, who assisted with officers and tactical teams.</p><p>They worked with us around the clock, he said.</p><p>Sgt. Andy Norris, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said that deputies located and detained Lawson at a Tuscaloosa hotel until ATF agents made the arrest. He was unsure where Earnest was apprehended.</p><p>Hearings are scheduled for both men at 2 p.m. Friday in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Ott.</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at </p><p>stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosa</p><p>news.com or 205-722-0210.</p>